“The chef-owner of Pesce in Dupont Circle, Andrew La Porta, suddenly passed away on Friday, Feb 5th.” Fundraiser for Family Launched

“Dear PoPville,

The chef-owner of Pesce in Dupont Circle, Andrew La Porta, suddenly passed away on Friday, Feb 5th. He is survived by his wife and two small children. It seems they’re closing the restaurant according to a report. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the family. I wonder if you can post something to let the community know and support his family? Thank you very much.”

via GoFundMe

From the GoFundMe:

“Andrew La Porta passed away of natural causes on Friday, February 5th, 2021. He was only 48 years old.

He is survived by Dalavy, his wife, and two daughters. Because Andrew did not have life insurance, we aim to raise $150,000 to help support the welfare and education of his two daughters, Samantha and Emily — aged 7 and 3, respectively. All donations will go directly into the children’s account. We recognize these are challenging times, and on behalf of Andrew’s family, we appreciate your support and kindness.

Andrew the Chef
Andrew was the talented Chef/Owner of Pesce. His very first restaurant venture earned accolades from Tom Sietsema, the Washington Post’s Food Critic. Tom wrote, “There is no better fish house in Washington than Pesce.” Andrew always kept himself grounded by putting as much energy into feeding the homeless as providing for his own restaurant patrons. When the pandemic decimated the restaurant industry, his concern, and efforts to care for family naturally extended to his employees.

Andrew the Son, Husband, and Father
Drew was dedicated to his craft, but his real passion was his wife and daughters. For Dalavy, Samantha, and Emily, this love included being exposed to Daddy’s retro-pop culture, new foods, and frequent family road trips. Drew gave his talents and time freely to his community and friends when they were in need. It is our goal to repay his generosity and to help the young family that is now left without him. Unfortunately, there is no life insurance to fall back on. The money collected will be used for the girls’ education and see to their immediate needs. We can never give them their father back, but we can show them that they are loved and cared for during this devasting time.”